


Happy Birthday

by Yoshigali



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, i live for found family, no plot spoilers, possible situational spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 02:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10934646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoshigali/pseuds/Yoshigali
Summary: Akira hoped this would be a normal, quiet evening at LeBlanc, but sometimes things aren't totally under his control.





	Happy Birthday

The bell above the door rang softly as Akira returned to LeBlanc that evening. Sojiro was behind the counter, leaning over a crossword and Futaba sat in a booth, tapping absentmindedly at her laptop. There weren’t any customers to be seen, so Akira set his bag in the booth closest to the door, letting Morgana slink out and curl up in the seat. Akira nodded a quick hello to Sojiro and Futaba before checking the fridge for leftovers.

There was a comfortable silence, no pressure to speak up, and it settled over Akira like a warm blanket. Moments of peace like this were so rare in his life recently that he wanted to let it last as long as he could.

His phone rang repeatedly on the table, several messages coming in at once. Akira simply sat in the booth, cold bread roll in hand, only giving his phone a short glance before resuming his dinner.

“You’re not going to get that?” Futaba looked up from her work, just a little confused. Akira may not answer all of his messages but at least he read them.

Akira shook his head. “It’s not important, I’m sure they just want to hang out.”

She raised an eyebrow. Was that a bad thing? As far as she could tell, Akira spent most nights ‘hanging out’ with his various friends.

He shrugged in response. “Want some time to myself tonight. Since it’s my birthday and all.”

The silence that fell in response to that statement was but a calm before the storm.

Futaba jumped to her feet, slamming her hands against the table. “What?” she shouted, so sudden it was nearly a shriek.

He wasn’t really listening to the conversation, but that got Sojiro’s attention. He pinched the bridge of his nose, “Futaba! Keep it down!” Morgana’s ears perked up and his eyes opened with a start. He’d been peacefully napping until Futaba’s outburst.

She pointed emphatically at Akira, who looked just as surprised as Sojiro by this turn of events, her voice coming out in sputters. “But Sojiro! It’s his birthday and he didn’t say anything until right! Now!”

Morgana batted at Akira’s leg. “Why didn’t you tell us? Even I know birthdays are important to humans!”

Sojiro crossed his arms and shook his head. “He doesn’t need to tell us everything, Futaba.”

She stomped her foot in response. “Yes, he does! We’re family!”

Akira blinked rapidly, and looked from Futaba to Sojiro to Morgana then back to Futaba. “We...are?”

“Obviously!” She threw her arms in the air, frustrated, then sat back down. She pulled her knees up to her chest and crossed her arms around them, staring pointedly at the wall with a pout.

“That’s news to me.” Sojiro scratched the back of his head.

Futaba deepened her scowl, boring a hole into the wall with her gaze.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Akira tugged at an errant curl of hair. “I didn’t realize...” He left the thought unfinished, unsure of how much he wanted to voice, to open himself, and everyone else, to being vulnerable.

“I didn’t either,” Sojiro’s voice was low, solemn, “she gets ideas in her head and forgets the rest of us need to catch up.” He chuckled a little. “Just like her mother, that one.”

Futaba huffed, drawing herself a little tighter. “I can hear you, you know.” It was a whisper, but clearly heard by the quiet room.

“So...” Akira cleared his throat, tugging harder at the lock of hair. “Today is my birthday. I’m seventeen now.”

Futaba flicked her gaze over to him, and dropped her shoulders a fraction. “It’s a little late for that, buddy. What can we do about it now?”

“You know,” Morgana hopped onto the table and stretched his back, “we could do something tomorrow, with all the Phantom Thieves.”

Futaba’s eyes sparkled behind her glasses, and a smile started to bloom on her face. The wheels had started turning and now they weren’t going to stop. “Sojiro! We need the café tomorrow!”

Morgana laughed when Akira practically choked on his dinner. “Futaba, wait, that’s not--”

“That was a quick turn around, but alright,” Sojiro folded up his newspaper and started to wipe down the counter, beginning the process of shutting down for the day. “I expect both of you to help out to make up for the lost business.”

“We agree!” Futaba raised her arm in a cheer, while Akira stared at Morgana for making this disastrous suggestion.

“Come on, Akira, it’ll be fun!” Morgana’s chuckle sounded eerily similar to a purr. “Besides, I’m sure your friends will want to spend time with you too.”

Akira’s shoulders dropped, this was a battle he was not going to win, not if Morgana was on Futaba’s side. “I’m just...I’m used to this being a quiet day, not...not a celebration.” The cat chirped in curiosity but didn’t reply. “Normally I catch a movie and treat myself to some ice cream.”

Morgana let out a snort. “That just sounds sad.”

“My parents and I aren’t that close. I never really had friends like...” Akira looked back over to Futaba and Sojiro. She was happily chattering with him, probably making arrangements for the next day, while somehow also texting rapid-fire. “I never really had friends like this before.”

It was a feeling that had crept up on him slowly. They may not be related by blood, but Futaba was right, this was his family. It was in the little things, how Sojiro wrote notes for him on the leftovers, how he and Futaba had made a space for him in LeBlanc and their lives. Akira had lived here less than a year, but he could hardly imagine feeling the same way he did in April, when Sojiro left him in the cluttered, dusty attic.

The rest of the Phantom Thieves were part of this ragtag family too, you don’t spend that much time in life-threatening danger together without getting at least a little bit closer. And even though Akira was starting to look forward to tomorrow’s birthday celebration with all of them, this moment, right now, was exactly what he wanted to remember.

In the background, Futaba was pleading with Sojiro to make special curry for the next day, whining “it’s his birthday!” as if they didn’t both know she would be eating most of it.

Morgana batted at Akira’s arm, breaking the moment of reflection. “You alright there? You spaced out for a minute.”

“Just thinking.” The hand tugging at his hair hid most of his face, but Morgana could still see the smallest of smiles on his lips. “Maybe this won’t be so bad.”

**Author's Note:**

> Man I sure hope we don't get a canon birthday later that totally invalidates this haha


End file.
